Northumberland’s GPs take responsibility

The Government’s Health and Social Care Bill 2010/11 proposes to move responsibility for commissioning health services from Primary Care Trusts to clinicians. This transfer of responsibility is due to take place in April 2013.
Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), previously known as GP consortia, will commission local services according to local needs.

Work is already under way to prepare for this significant change and in Northumberland a single clinical commissioning group has been established.

Morpeth GP, Dr Alistair Blair is heading the Northumberland group which includes all 46 GP practices across the county and covers a population of around 330,000.

You can read about the plans for health spending in the county in the NHS North of Tyne integrated strategic and operational plan and the Northumberland locality delivery plan.